Is your workplace all that it can be? It’s a question that any good business leader needs to ask themselves regularly. But at Technalink, we’ve found that many people just look at basics like their profit margin for a quarter and assume it’s all going great. To be a true leader, you need to look deeper than that. You need to pay attention to what is really going on in the workplace.
A perfect example of this is communication. Is your business communication friendly? Most business leaders instinctively answer yes, but it’s not always the case. Taking a much closer look is needed if you really want to find out the truth, and often you’ll discover that better communication is something you could benefit from. Here are some steps you can take to foster better communication in the workplace.
- Be more open to employees. Employees want a leader they can respect and who they can talk to. When you’re open and available to them, they’re more likely to approach you with concerns or ideas.
- Set up communication and teamwork seminars and workshops. These don’t have to be those weekend long trips to camps, but instead can be held in-office. Look online to get some more resources on how to structure one and impart better communication skills to your team.
- Use what your employees tell you, and recognize them for doing so. If an employee has a great idea, run with it. But be sure to give them full credit for their plan. This can help inspire others to start talking to you more and to talk to their fellow workers.
- Create brainstorming sessions where teams meet to talk to one another over different ways to approach projects and issues. These should be ‘open dialogue’ meetings where nobody is punished for their ideas.
- Create a company employee only social media page – like a Facebook group or page. This can become a hub for your employees to join in order to get info about the company, leave comments about projects and incentives, and even talk to each other. It can have a surprising impact on your company’s level of communication.
The key is making sure that your employees know that you value their ideas and that you want them to communicate with one another. If you can keep that in mind you’ll be able to start taking the steps needed to teach your employees how to communicate more effectively – and start seeing a big improvement in your company as well.
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